Recently, I finished The Perils of Prague, by Doc Coleman, and I thought, what better way to kick off my intermittent book reviews (as in, when I finish a book and feel like reviewing it) than by sharing this with you! Disclaimer: Doc is a friend of mine, and I received an e-copy of this book for free in return for a review.

We already know I like steampunk, and this book is a fun romp through the streets (and underneath) of Prague, which is not your normal setting for a steampunk. This Prague is under the control of Victoria, the Eternal Empress, who has been on the throne of the British Empire for 175 years at this point. Yes, you saw that right. This world is a world dominated by the British Empire in all her glory, complete with lighting rifles and the might of the Eternal Empress. The technology is fascinating, mostly because we are experiencing the world through the eyes of the narrator.

Who has a name that apparently is so vile that we can’t know what it is, thanks to a grandfather with a sick sense of human. His Lordship (which is how he is referred to) is stuck with this name, and trying to figure out what to do with his life when he is shipped off to Bohemia to spend some time learning from his uncle, the Duke of Prussia. The Duke introduces him to Professor Harmonious Crackle and his assistant, Titania Bang. The two of them then proceed to turn His Lordship’s world upside down and inside out in a way that had this reader both cheering and wincing for him.

I liked this book. It wasn’t the deep, dark, gritty, soul-searching steampunk that I’ve seen before, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t have meat. The characters grabbed me, and the story itself was well-constructed. I found myself wishing that I could have seen more of Prague through these sets of eyes, and I can’t wait to see what Doc has in store for us for the next book. If you like steampunk, and you’re looking for something that isn’t the same-old, same-old, I highly recommend trying this out.

You can order The Perils of Prague on Amazon in either Kindle or paperback form. If you are a Kindle-unlimited subscriber, it’s free right now!